Ukraine Refugee Assistance

In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :

 I lost GPS multiple times and actually used the stars at one point to keep myself pointed west (Really, I just got pretty decent at finding the North star, an I found my way from there).  In one humorous episode I purchased 3.5 liters of gas due to a smudge on my paper when I was trying to order 35 liters.  That was fun (no getting around it, I'm going to have to learn the language one of these days), but then I lost my visa card...  and so on.

One thing I was excited about was this suction cupped stuffed cat I found:

Ohhh, man, i'm so sorry about all these unfortunate incidents  

Let me tell you once again - FEEL FREE to ask me about anything you need - any help, any questions - even if you need to find a plush toy or something more serious here in Ukraine - just let me know!!!

Vikki, are you still safe after all of the activity in your area?

In reply to Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) :

Vikki and I talk and try to work out a way to get to Kyiv to see a photography exhibit.  It's about a couple that became war photographers, but it wont open until almost noon.

We wont be able to swing it this time,

Honestly, i'm so sorry we couldn't attend that exhibition, i think it could be worth it.

Just to clarify, it was an exhibition of war photos and videos. The guys who made it(they're a couple - husband and wife) were wedding photographers before the war started, now - they're military photographers, they're showing the world footage of what's happening in the line of fire.

In the last few days, an offensive has begun from the russian border towards Kharkiv - evacuations have begun in the small town of Vovchansk and villages nearby. Police and volunteers help evacuate people and animals from the area.

These guys were showing what's going on in there - you can see at the link below, click on what's highlighted in red, but i'm warning you, it might make you cry 

https://www.instagram.com/libkos?igsh=MWRvaDF3ZDV4MHF6aw==

tuna55 said:

Vikki, are you still safe after all of the activity in your area?

Brian, i appreciate your concern 

unfortunately, all of these activities are still continuing...  we're trying to be safe 

VikkiDp said:

tuna55 said:

Vikki, are you still safe after all of the activity in your area?

Brian, i appreciate your concern 

unfortunately, all of these activities are still continuing...  we're trying to be safe 

Glad you're still okay, and sorry it's so ugly still!!!

testing.  I've tried to post an update twice, and it's not working

Hi everyone!!! 

How are you doing?

Ohhh, guys, there are many things i need to and important to tell you all about 

First - i should tell the continuing story of the April trip - what's been going on here in Dnipro since Bill came home. 

I was planning to start doing it last Friday... ummm... and just in the moment when I thought about turning on my laptop... what do you guys think happened?  the lights went out  the blackouts came back and they're always unexpected  Well, I had no choice and i had to go to bed . Honestly, i didn't mind much (especially since it was late in the evening) .

The next one - the work of the moms and kids fund continued no matter what - more details tomorrow.

Today I want to talk about something else... it's important i think.

(sorry, i'll continue a little later - my coffee break is over) 

testing?  My posts recently only result in error messages

Woot!  It worked!  Happy Memorial Day everyone!  I have some updates to share:

First was that VikkiDp sent me a photo of her flower and seed delivery at the orphanage a mere day or two after I returned.

But also, we're getting photos of the orphanage using our supplies outside and in this beautiful weather!

Here's that last photo translated:

Good evening, sorry, I can’t find some time to send photos to you. Thank you so much. The kids enjoyed planting the plants.

Also the photo with sweets. The eggs(*kinder eggs) ate for Easter. And the kids went on a picnic on Vishyvanka day and used the utensils you brought (it’s super!!!). There chocolates from you (*bunnies) as a dessert.

Woah, something is wrong with the forum? I couldn't send a message either and now there's more than one 

edit - i deleted the duplicates of my posts.

I owe you guys an update on the vehicle front as well.  Naturally I've been a bit busy, but I have had a bit of time to wrench.  Here's what we're looking like:

When it came to the final assembly, I had no idea where all the bolts were supposed to go.  Luckily they're pretty straight forward.  And, as there was only one with a smooth shoulder between head and threads, I used that one to install the shifter receptacle.

It worked!

Well, I did have to put it together and take it apart a couple times as I put the receptacle on backwards once and two times it got smashed into gear when I put the housing on and would not shift back out.

I think I got it though and even put the shifter in to row through the gears.

Those were the parts I had that were left over from the rebuild.  I'm keeping those out so I can attempt to fix the transmission currently installed in the truck now (cross your fingers)

I also got started pulling the discrepant transmission:

But there's no getting around it.  The dog and I both agree that we are 100% getting too old for this stuff.  The transfer case is already out, the plan is to drop the transmission tomorrow.

Good times.

Here's a quick video of me rowing through the gears. 

 

I'm not sure if I just didn't shift it correctly or if the shift fork isn't aligned, but I thought I noticed a bit of trouble when I put it in fourth gear the first time. I couldn't duplicate the fault, so I'm crossing my fingers for good luck. Only a road test will tell!

Ok, so what's going on in these photos?

I promise we're not calling it quits, but we are taking the truck back to Africa this summer (I know...  Africa in the summer???).  The family and I are in dire need of a vacation, and I didn't want the crosses on the truck to get it any more attention than it already gets.  Plus someone might think we're trained and equipped to assist in a medical emergency, and we very much are not.

As a bonus, we do have some new designs for hood and door decals in work.  Hopefully we can make those happen!

Good times.

As I've written before, the situation has gotten worse recently - heavy shelling of Kharkov, there were several rocket attacks in Dnipro 

I have a few good friends in Kharkiv and there are a few families with kids that we support who have returned home(for a variety of reasons - some don't have the money to pay for rent, some miss their home), one of the family returned to Kharkiv. 

Why am I writing about this? because after any heavy attacks, i always text them and ask if they're okay.

Sometimes it's just an answer - we're ok - and it's enough for me. But sometimes those answers made me cry.

Let me show you some.

*from my friend - she texted me this after more than 10 missiles were hitted on Kharkov that morning.

- translation - 

Vika, hello! we're ok! We're used to the sounds of explosions. I don't watch the news to avoid crying too much. 

How are you?

*from a mom of kids - her daughter asked for something with Harry Potter on it as a new year's gift - one of those things we brought was a plaid.

-translation-

By the way,  we take the plaids with us to the shelter when the air alarm - they're so soft and warm, and we're thinking about you at that moment.

my note - these are the plaids hanging on the chair.

Thank you for the updates Vikki, and the help you are giving. I think the joy you have brought to a bad situation is really so important, especially for the children. Vikki and Bill, I'm sending my best wishes for your safety!

In reply to VikkiDp :

Everything in that post has me choked up.  I hope your friends stay safe, and I hope Egor and Dariya (all of our children, really) wont ever have to take that blanket to the bomb shelter ever again.

VikkiDp said:

As I've written before, the situation has gotten worse recently - heavy shelling of Kharkov, there were several rocket attacks in Dnipro 

I have a few good friends in Kharkiv and there are a few families with kids that we support who have returned home(for a variety of reasons - some don't have the money to pay for rent, some miss their home), one of the family returned to Kharkiv. 

Why am I writing about this? because after any heavy attacks, i always text them and ask if they're okay.

Sometimes it's just an answer - we're ok - and it's enough for me. But sometimes those answers made me cry.

Let me show you some.

*from a mom of kids - her daughter asked for something with Harry Potter on it as a new year's gift - one of those things we brought was a plaid.

-translation-

By the way,  we take the plaids with us to the shelter when the air alarm - they're so soft and warm, and we're thinking about you at that moment.

my note - these are the plaids hanging on the chair.

 

I have something to add to this story, i just didn't have enough time to write it all at once.

But it's really some kind of magic - i'll tell you 

During the process of sending Easter chocolates, one of the postal workers asked me: 

"these Kinder eggs with the Harry Potter characters inside?"

ummm... "no idea" - i reply.

"Bill, those eggs with the Harry Potter characters inside?" - i asked Bill

"ummm... no idea" - he replies.

Some later i got a message and photos from this mom 

-translation-

my daughter says the eggs with Harry. We look for them in stores, but they were once and that's it.

*my note - this girl is a real Harry Potter fan.

Here she and her brother open the Easter package.

That's a pure magic, isn't? 

I absolutely love coincidences like this.

Hungary Bill (Forum Supporter) said:

But also, we're getting photos of the orphanage using our supplies outside and in this beautiful weather!

 

Here's that last photo translated:

Good evening, sorry, I can’t find some time to send photos to you. Thank you so much. The kids enjoyed planting the plants.

Also the photo with sweets. The eggs(*kinder eggs) ate for Easter. And the kids went on a picnic on Vishyvanka day and used the utensils you brought (it’s super!!!). There chocolates from you (*bunnies) as a dessert.

aaaannnd, also i have something to add to this post 

as mentioned above, the guys from the orphanage went on a picnic on Vyshyvanka Day(*vyshyvanka is traditional embroidered Ukrainian clothing - it can be shirts, T-shirts, dresses), they had a good time in one of the most beautiful places in the Dnipro, they were enjoying sunny and warm weather and they enjoyed using the disposable utensils we brought them.

And finally some Moms and kids fund news 

Diapers, wet wipes and baby food ordered for four babies(one of the families has two).

One of the babies already got the stuff and i got a message from his mom 

-translation-

Vika, thank you so much, it's like we have a celebration for us today.

A huge thank you to everyone who participated in helping my son. I'm so grateful to all of you.

The stuff for the rest of the babies on the way, so we'll be expecting updates soon.

Moms and kids fund report 

quick reminder - the fund balance also includes the money we should pay( the second half of the price) for the device for the orphanage (25000 uah + bank fee)

Thanks from me to all who support this effort 

Hi everyone!!! Hope you're doing well 

Thank you for the updates and pictures Vikki! It really puts a face to the people effected by this war, which is always a good reminder. Good luck and stay safe!

Oh man, I really needed those posts today.  Thank you so much!!!!!

I'm so happy to see everyone at the orphanage outside and enjoying all of this beautiful weather we're having.  And those kinder eggs!!!!

I have a few updates, but first I wanted to let VikkiDp know that I've started the monthly transfer.  This month we've raised $430.75 (USD)!!  I think that should help make sure all of our mothers and babies are taken care of this month.

Thank you everyone!

Ok, back at that transmission I was really struggling to get the motivation to get out there every day.  But I did and eventually we got everything torn apart:

I had to wait a day to get to the parts store as I was completely out of any sort of gasket sealer at this point (xfer case and transmission needed a slathering), and the bellhousing had to be swapped over, but all in all it wasn't so bad (as far as installing transmissions solo while laying on your back goes)

Clutch, throwout bearing, and pilot bearing were all left as is.  They're all only 3 or 4 years old and the bearings felt smooth as butter.

So did it work?  Did I get 4th gear lined up correctly, or am I going to be doing this all over again (Same Bat-Time, Same Bat-Channel?)

Find out in today's episode!

 

I was telling the truck how excited I was that she was back, and the camera switched itself on

Smooth as butter.  Now to take care of a few other things on her "fix-list"

Hot dang! Way to go!

Clutch engagement too low/early might be as simple as an air bubble in the hydraulics. They can be tough to bleed. Sometimes just opening the bleeder (with hose into a jar of fluid) and kicking the hell of the pedal many times, hard and fast, is necessary to move the fluid and take the air bubble with it.